Design of lifting provisions (e.g., for military vehicles) can present some difficult challenges. Vehicle structures in the vicinity of the lifting provisions must be strong enough and stiff enough to support the appropriate lifting loads while also providing attachment locations for the lifting provisions themselves.
Conventionally, lifting provisions are typically mounted (fastened or welded) on or near the top of the vehicle. Lifting of a vehicle using these discrete, isolated attachments typically imparts localized stresses on the vehicle structure (which often require substantial structural reinforcements). These lifting provisions and reinforcements are typically steel and may be large and very heavy.
To some degree, the weight of these lifting provisions and reinforcements raises the center of gravity of the vehicle. Of course, each increase in the height of the center of gravity also increases the likelihood of rollover during abrupt turns and/or lane changes.
Various patents related to lifting and hoisting include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,166, entitled VEHICLE HOISTING ARRANGEMENT, which was issued Feb. 13, 1962 in the name of Kempel, et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,109, entitled VEHICLE LIFTING ATTACHMENT, which was issued May 11, 1982 in the name of Bleyker.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,719, entitled VEHICLE LIFTING SYSTEM AND METHOD, which was issued Nov. 19, 1985 in the name of Ott.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,197, entitled LIFT LINK FOR HELICOPTER EXTERNAL LIFT OF DUAL HMMWV'S, which was issued Dec. 8, 1992 in the name of Underbakke, et al.
DE102004026469, entitled BODY, ESPECIALLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLE HAS HOLLOW SUPPORTS WITH RECLOSABLE OPENINGS TOWARDS FLOOR OF VEHICLE FOR ACCOMMODATING JACK'S SUPPORTING ARM OF A JACK, AT LEAST ONE RECLOSABLE OPENING TOWARDS FLOOR OF VEHICLE, published Dec. 15, 2005, in the name of Klink Achim et al.
Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures constitute a part of this specification and include illustrative embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.